PINK FLOYD ANTSEMITIC ACT

KING JESUS IS COMING FOR US ANY TIME NOW. THE RAPTURE. BE PREPARED TO GO.

63% of Israeli Jews oppose major West Bank pullout, poll finds

One in two Jews in Israel thinks Arab citizens should not have a say if government declares a national referendum on peace

By Asher Zeiger August 6, 2013, 2:20 pm 9-The times of Israel

Most Israeli Jews would oppose a peace agreement with the Palestinians if it included a full West Bank pullout with land swaps to let Israel retain major settlement population centers, according to a new poll that appears to contradict the conclusions of other recent surveys.The poll, released Tuesday by the Israel Democracy Institute and Tel Aviv University, found that 63 percent of Jews in Israel oppose a withdrawal to the 1967 lines with land swaps as part of any peace arrangement with the Palestinian Authority, even if it meant Israel would hold onto the Etzion Bloc, directly south of Jerusalem; Ma’aleh Adumim, east of the capital; and Ariel in the central West Bank about 34 kilometers (21 miles) east of Tel Aviv.Assuming Israeli retention of Ariel, Ma’aleh Adumim and other settlement blocs, 58% of Jewish respondents were opposed to the dismantling of other settlements.The poll was conducted among 602 respondents in late July, after the announcement of new peace talks with the Palestinians, and has a statistical error of 4.5%.According to the survey, 50% of Jewish Israelis also oppose the transfer of Arab neighborhoods in Jerusalem to Palestinian Authority control with a special arrangement for Jewish holy sites.Israeli Arabs are more optimistic than their Jewish counterparts regarding the prospects of newly resumed negotiations with the Palestinian Authority. Seventy-nine percent of Israeli Jews believe talks have a low chance of success, as opposed to 18% who believe that the chances are high. Only 41% of the Arab Israelis surveyed said the talks had a low chance of success, while 47% said they had a good chance at success.Despite the overall pessimism among Jewish respondents, 61% said that they were in favor of the peace talks, as opposed to 33% who said they were opposed. Ninety-one percent of the Arab citizens polled said they supported the negotiations. Only 6% opposed them.Seventy-seven percent of Israeli Jews would oppose any agreement that recognized in principle a right of return for Palestinian refugees and their descendants, with a small number being allowed to come and live in Israel, and compensation for the rest.Sixty-two percent of Israeli Jews and 72% of Israeli Arabs agree that a national referendum is needed to approve any peace settlement that involves evacuating settlements and withdrawal from the West Bank. Notably, 49% of Israeli Jews said that the national referendum should not include the country’s Arab citizens, as opposed to 46% who think all Israelis should have a say. In the Arab sector, the response to the question was 4% and 88%, respectively.The majority of both Jews and Arabs surveyed — 63% of Jews and 58% of Arabs — said the Netanyahu government was sincere in its desire for negotiations with the Palestinian Authority. However, only 29% of Jews felt that the same could be said for the PA negotiators, while 85% of the Arabs said the PA was sincere in its return to the negotiating table.Asked if they believed that the prime minister could safeguard Israel’s security while negotiating with the PA, 60% of the Jews surveyed answered in the affirmative, as opposed to 37% who said they didn’t trust him. Among Israeli Arabs, 32% said that they trusted the prime minister in this regard, while 64% did not.Regarding political parties either shoring up or blocking the current round of negotiations, 51% of Israeli Jews polled — including 49% of those who voted for the hardline Jewish Home party — said that they would not support the party bolting the coalition in protest over the negotiations.Conversely, 48% of Jewish Israelis and 71% of Israeli Arabs said that they would like to see the more dovish Labor Party, led by opposition chair Shelly Yachimovich, join the coalition in order to support the peace process from within the government. Yachimovich has reiterated that her party would serve as a bulwark for the Netanyahu’s coalition in the event that its hardline partners jump ship over the diplomatic process.

Vatican op-ed slams anti-Semitism at pig-flying musician’s concert

Pink Floyd founder Roger Waters: ‘To peacefully protest against Israel’s racist domestic and foreign policies is not anti-Semitic’

By JTA and Times of Israel staff August 6, 2013, 4:57 pm 1-The Times of Israel

 

Roger Waters floating pig (photo credit: Youtube screen capture)

ROME – An op-ed in the Vatican newspaper blasted “unrestrained anti-Semitism” at a music festival in Belgium where British rocker Roger Waters displayed an inflatable wild boar balloon with a Star of David and other symbols on it.

“The spirit and the style of the Werchter Rock festival was visible, with the fans who had every right to listen to music that they enjoy,” Cristiana Dobner wrote in a weekend edition of Osservatore Romano, referring to the July 20 concert. “But did they also have the right to draw the Star of David on the back of a pig and not be reported? … We continue to talk about the respect for every religion and every human being, yet we keep falling into these shameful situations.”The op-ed, headlined “Unrestrained anti-Semitism at a rock festival,” did not mention former Pink Floyd front man Waters, 69, by name. In his act he used a huge inflated balloon in the shape of a wild boar. A Star of David was prominently visible on it, as were other symbols, including a hammer and sickle, crosses and a dollar sign.Rabbi Abraham Cooper of the Simon Wiesenthal Center last week denounced the balloon as a “grotesque display of Jew-hatred” and called Waters an “open hater of Jews.”

Roger Waters (photo credit: Lior Mizrahi)

Waters, a vocal opponent of Israel’s policy toward Palestinians, rejected Cooper’s criticism with a statement on his Facebook page, addressed to Cooper, denying he is anti-Semitic. He said other symbols painted on the balloon included a crescent and star, the Shell Oil logo and a McDonald’s sign.Waters wrote: “Like it or not, the Star of David represents Israel and its policies and is legitimately subject to any and all forms of non-violent protest. To peacefully protest against Israel’s racist domestic and foreign policies is NOT ANTI-SEMITIC.”In an op-ed Monday in The Times of Israel entitled “When pigs fly…the Star of David,” Cooper responded by noting that Waters affixed the Magen David — “the only symbol of a people and its heritage on the floating pig” — alongside icons of fascism, dictatorships and multinational corporations. “Far from being an original, if odious idea, linking Jews to the ‘treif’ pig is an image deeply embedded in Europe culture,” the rabbi went on. “While Mr. Waters crisscrosses Europe this summer, here is a reality check from European Jewish communities he may not have time to see: Virtually every Synagogue and school has armed guards. Hate crimes against Jews surge in Scandinavia and Western Europe. Core Jewish practices are being criminalized from Poland to Norway. Do Jews really to be subjected to their music-loving neighbors cheering this hateful image again and again? Cooper concluded: “Roger Waters states he isn’t an anti-Semite and that he has friends and family who are Jewish. But if he doesn’t want to see his talents, energies and name serve those who seek Israel’s demise, he should denounce the BDS movement and permanently lose that Star of David on his pig.”Waters has long used inflatable pigs in his act. Often they are emblazoned with provocative political slogans, including anti-religion slogans, such as “All Religions Divide.”The Anti-Defamation League told JTA it does not think anti-Semitism was behind the act.In his statement, the 69-year-old British performer cited the ADL’s position, and added: “I have many very close Jewish friends, one of whom, interestingly enough, is the nephew of the late Simon Wiesenthal.”Waters, who recently urged other performers to boycott Israel and compared Israel to apartheid South Africa, appeared on the stage in Belgium on July 20 under the balloon while toting a machine gun replica and wearing a long black leather jacket with a red-and-white arm band, reminiscent of a Nazi uniform. The former Pink Floyd member was singing “get him up against the wall, that one looks Jewish and that one’s a coon, who let all of this riff-raff into the room” — the lyrics of the song “In the Flesh.”Thousands of fans shouted his name and applauded as he stood on stage pretending to fire the fake machine gun.Michael Freilich, editor-in-chief of the Belgian Jewish monthly Joods Actueel, called on the government to issue a statement condemning what he called “an anti-Semitic display” at the concert.

EU calls on Tehran to quickly enter negotiations

New Iranian President Hasan Rouhani says situation can be solved ‘through talks, not threats’

August 6, 2013, 6:02 pm 1-The Times of Israel

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union’s foreign policy chief called on Iran’s new president to schedule “meaningful talks” on the nuclear issue as soon as possible.Spokesman Michael Mann said Tuesday the EU’s Catherine Ashton congratulated Iran’s newly sworn-in President Hasan Rouhani and urged him to use his strong mandate “to seek a swift resolution to (the international community’s) serious concerns about Iran’s nuclear activities.”The West fears Iran’s nuclear program aims at developing atomic weapons, while Tehran insists it serves only peaceful purposes.Ashton said she and the group of nations negotiating with Iran — the five permanent UN Security Council nations plus Germany — “stand ready to continue talks to find a resolution as quickly as possible.”Four rounds of talks since last year have failed to make significant headway.Also Tuesday, Rouhani said he determined to resolve the dispute over his country’s nuclear program “through talks, not threats.” In a news conference he reiterated his stance that the concerns of both sides could be eased if they sat down to talk with respect, as equals.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

 

Fears as Ramadan meets ‘Women of the Wall’

Police ask thousands of orthodox Jewish women not to pray at Kotel in an attempt to maintain calm.

By Maayana Miskin-First Publish: 8/6/2013, 6:40 PM-israelnationalnews

Women of the Wall-Flash 90

Jerusalem Police and officials at the Kotel (Western Wall) are afraid that this Friday could be a violent one at the Western Wall holy site.
Hundreds of thousands of Muslims are expected to visit the adjacent Temple Mount prayer space for the last prayers of the Ramadan holiday.At the same time, the controversial Women of the Wall group will be holding its monthly prayers – an event that in the past has meant clashes as some counter-protesters resort to violence.Women of the Wall holds prayer sessions once a month in which women use traditionally male prayer garments. The group wishes to change the rules of decorum at the Kotel, which currently include a ban on group prayers that violate orthodox Jewish tradition.If their prayers draw counter-protesters this month, peaceful or not, police apparently fear that the increased Jewish presence could also increase the odds of Jewish-Muslim clashes.Police are hoping to avoid violence this month by removing not only the extremists, but thousands of others who disagree with Women of the Wall’s agenda. Officers, backed by Rabbi of the Kotel Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovich, have asked hareidi leaders to prevent young hareidi women from coming to the Kotel to pray this Friday.In recent months thousands of young hareidi women have come to pray each month when the Women of the Wall do, in a non-violent show of disagreement with the group’s demands.Police have asked the Women of the Wall to help ensure calm as well by not wearing tefillin during their prayers this month. The women’s use of tefillin, which are worn by Jewish men during daily prayers, is particularly controversial.It is not clear at this point if either group is planning to heed the officers’ request.
Women of the Wall members have announced that they will not agree to move their monthly prayer session to a different location.The group’s leaders said that last month, police set aside a protected area for their prayers that was in the women’s prayer section at the Kotel, but did not touch the Kotel itself. They objected both to that and to the fact that, they say, police allowed protesters to whistle in a deliberate attempt to disrupt their services, and even to throw objects at worshipers.“So we were prevented from holding prayers in accordance with halakha [Jewish law] for the first time in the last 24 years,” claimed Women of the Wall head Anat Hoffman.
 

Almagor Head: Petition Against Terrorist Release Could Work

The head of the Almagor terror victims' group thinks that he has a good chance of stopping the release of terrorists next week.-By David Lev-First Publish: 8/5/2013, 11:03 PM-israelnationalnews

Almagor head Meir Indor

Yoni Kempinski

Next week, the state is set to release 26 terrorists who either murdered Israelis or assisted others to do so. The 26 are the first “installment” by Israel of the 104 terrorists it agreed to release in order to conduct negotiations with the Palestinian Authority.Many Israelis of all political stripes are opposed to the release, and the Almagor terror victims organization has petitioned the High Court to stop the release. On Monday, the court said that Almagor had a good point, and it has ordered the state to show cause why the terrorists should be released.Speaking with Arutz Sheva, Almagor director Meir Indor said that the petition had a good chance of being accepted, because it was based on a precedent set by High Court president Elyakim Rubinstein, who said that while the court generally should not meddle in matters of state, the court could examine whether the state's actions were legal.According to Indor, the state's bid to release terrorists crosses several legal “red lines,” not the least of which are the refusal by previous governments – including that of former Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin – to release these same terrorists. In addition, the releases are coming before any substantial diplomatic activity, and the state cannot justify them in any way without that activity. In addition, he said, criteria hammered out by a government-appointed committee on releasing terrorists have not yet been approved, so it is reasonable to question why these releases would fit those criteria.Despite the fact that such petitions have not been successful in the past, Indor said that there was still a value in presenting them. “It's a protest and an educational effort, that makes it clear that we know what is permissible and what is not,” said Indor, who said that his group's efforts were appreciated by many in the IDF and the government.“A top IDF officer once told me that if Almagor did not exist, it would have to be invented, because there would be many more terrorists released.”